246 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
some of the Parrots. This is the more remarkable 
in that it is an insectivorous bird, and, one would 
think, could find suitable food in most places. 
Its uniform bluish-grey body and strongly con- 
trasting black face make it a noticeable bird ; it is 
rather larger than the Pallid Cuckoo, which in build 
it somewhat resembles. Its flight is distinctive ; a 
few very fast wing-beats and then a float, then more 
wing-beats, another float, and so on, giving an effect 
of graceful rising and falling. The note is a flute- 
like musical trill, generally produced during flight. 
I think we see rather more of these birds about 
Geelong at midwinter than at any other time. The 
Dog Rocks are a favourite place of call for them, as 
also is the Eastern Park. Indeed, they will make in 
their peregrinations for any locality which offers 
tallish gums, for it is these trees they love to perch in. 
The only nests I have found were two near Ocean 
Grove in October and November, 1896 ; each was a 
very slight shallow structure of grasses and roots, 
roughly edged with bits of bark, and was placed in a 
horizontal fork of a gum tree at about 25 feet from 
the ground. In one case it was in a live branch, the 
other a dead one. The eggs in each case were two, 
of an apple-green ground-colour, and thickly covered 
with large reddish spots and blotches. 
There is no doubt that this species also breeds 
in the neighbourhood of Jan Juc and throughout the 
forest north of Anglesea and Airey's Inlet. I think it 
is on-jthe increase. 
